Powhatan County Virginia Real Estate

Powhatan Virginia History

The first record of a white man being in the area known as Powhatan County was in 1608.

A band of approximately 120 men led by Christopher Newport made an expedition up the James River to a point as far west as Maidens Bridge.

They were forced to turn back because of hostile Monacan Indians who occupied the area at the time. Very little is known about the Monacan Indians.

They had an open settlement of huts up and down the riverbank which were abandoned. What is known is that they were hunters and farmers.

That they were farmers is indicated by the fact that the word "Monacan" is derived from the Algonquin word signifying a stick or spade.

Between the years of 1699-1705, some five to seven hundred Huguenot refugees fleeing from persecution in France settled on the James River near Manakin in the then-abandoned Monacan Indian villages.

They soon scattered throughout the area, building fine homes, some of which are still standing in the county.

In May 1777, the Virginia General Assembly created the County of Powhatan out of land from the eastern portion of Cumberland County between the Appomattox and James Rivers.

In 1850, a small portion of Chesterfield County was annexed, creating what today is the 273-square mile county of Powhatan.

In Virginia, there are nine counties bearing Indian names.

Only one, Powhatan, is named for an Indian chief. "Chief Powhatan," father of the famous Indian princess, Pocahontas, was one of the greatest, and is today one of the best known of the Indian chiefs.

After the formation of the county, the first court was held on July 17, 1777, in the home of Littlebury Mosby (1729-1809).

Mosby was an important figure in the history of Cumberland and Powhatan Counties.

Before and after 1777, he was a gentleman Justice.

He was also a vestryman and senior warden of Peterville Church, a colonel in the militia, a tavern keeper, and a high sheriff in the county.

His home still stands and is a private residence at the intersection of Route 60 and Old Tavern Road.

At the first session of the court, plans were considered for laying off the county seat to be known as Scottville in honor of General Charles Scott, a Revolutionary War hero and personal aide to General George Washington at Valley Forge.

Two granite markers, which still stand today, were placed at the south and north ends of the village to serve as meridian markers.

The name of the county seat was changed to Powhatan in 1836 and the present courthouse building was erected in 1848.

Due to the lack of public transportation, small villages sprang up around the county, each of which served their immediate areas.

General stores were stocked with local produce, while dry goods were hauled by packet boat (operated by independent boat companies) on the Kanawha Canal, located on the north side of the river.

Each store was responsible for ordering its own supplies and picking them up at the river.

These goods were then brought across to the Powhatan side of the river boat or ferry and hauled by teams or wagons to various locations through the county.

According to a directory from that period, in 1852 there were 16 merchants in the county as well as 13 attorneys and 13 physicians.

An assessment in 1850 valued the land in the county at an average of $10.12 per acre. The 1852 census showed the population to be 8,171.

The above history was written by Margaret Palmore with the help of many local historians, including Raymond Boelt and Roy Nicholls.

Philip St. George Cocke, of Belmead Many reasons have been attributed to the cause of America’s Civil War.

Protecting states’ rights, the balance of trade with Europe, emancipation and preserving the intent of the constitution are but a few of a long list of explanations.

Years and years of research and investigation have never achieved a satisfactory single response to the ongoing question, "What caused the Civil War?"

If we will be completely honest with our own knowledge, rather than our inner feelings, the truth is we really don’t know.

Perhaps the best answer of recent times was surmised by noted local historian and writer Ed Crews, who brought the question’s answer to the heart of the subject when he said, "The cause of the war, in spite of how sophisticated we may attempt to paint it, was basically found in the heart of each participant from top to bottom.

Every individual had their reason and purpose for being involved."

Nothing exhibits the truth of this observation more than the life of Philip St. George Cocke, aristocratic Powhatan land owner and the founder of the famous Civil War unit, "Powhatan Troop," of the fourth Virginia Cavalry.

Cocke’s story is especially interesting in that he possessed one true intent in the war--to equal the distinction his father attained during the War of 1812.

Cocke was born on April 17, 1809 and raised in the area of Bremo.

His father, Major General John Cocke, had made a significant name for himself during the War of 1812. Impressed with the accomplishments of his father, young Cocke wished to achieve the same acclaim.

Graduating from the University of Virginia in 1828, he attended West Point Military Academy. Upon graduation, Cocke served in the army for two years, then re-signed and returned to Virginia, where he married Sally Bowdoin of Surry County.

Sometime in the late 1820’s, Cocke and his wife moved to Powhatan County and became deeply involved in local and state affairs.

As his father had done with the courthouse at Palmyra in Fluvanna County, Cocke took the opportunity to hire a New York architect to design Powhatan Courthouse and attended to the project until its completion.

Sometime in the mid-1850’s, after acquiring substantial acreage in Powhatan, Cocke completed the Gothic-styled Belmead.

The structure is immense and sits atop a majestic hill overlooking the James River.

In 1859, Cocke became alarmed by the uprising at Harper’s Ferry, now called the John Brown Raid.

Cocke was not alone in his apprehension that such a situation could occur at home.

As did many men across the state in their own counties, Cocke formed a militia unit to prepare for such a hostility. T

he famous Powhatan Troop was his organization, and he personally financed, equipped and armed the unit.

The threat of hostilities from within the county never materialized; instead, the hostilities were from Virginia’s neighbors to the North.

When the Civil War erupted, the handsomely-uniformed and effectively-mounted Powhatan Troop was prepared to go to the action in 1861.

Cocke was commissioned a general by the State of Virginia; he was briefly separated from the Troop but reunited just prior to Manassas.

Cocke finally had his opportunity for military greatness. Although a brigadier general in the Provisional Army of Virginia, Cocke was given the rank of colonel when the Virginia troops were consolidated with the Confederate Army.

This was a personal disappointment of profound dimensions.

For this proud, accomplished man of immense wealth, a depressive state of mind began to consume and erode Cocke’s emotional foundation.

At the Battle of Manassas, Cocke distinguished himself in battle and valor, but he felt Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard did not give him the credit he deserved.

A confrontation between the men produced nothing to change the official reports.

Cocke found the slight overwhelming, sliding him into mental depression.

After several months, Cocke received a nomination to the rank of brigadier general. This promotion took place in October of 1861; however, Cocke was emotionally destroyed.

Returning home for Christmas, Cocke shot himself in the head the following evening, December 26, 1861, outside his beloved Belmead, a crushed man.

Philip St. George Cocke’s life dispels one of the many myths as to the cause of the great Civil war.

His father was a champion of emancipation and spent a lifetime in its pursuits.

Young Cocke for certain echoed his father’s sentiments in his effort to live up to his father’s achievements.

Ed Crew’s analogy of the cause of the war certainly appears true, at least in Cocke’s case. A great and generous life ended not by his enemy, but by his own disappointment, not for his cause but because of his motivation for being a Confederate.

Walking in General Longstreet's Shoes - The room is packed.

The gathered crowd of guests and Civil War enthusiasts await in excited anticipation. They have no idea who is to appear at this assemblage.

They only know it to be someone of significant influence. The drums begin to roll.

An individual enters the room in full Confederate gray bearing the officer’s rank of a major.

The crowd begins to murmur. One finally recognizes the Confederate as Major Moxley Sorrell, the devoted staff officer to one of the most controversial figures in American history.

Suddenly a hush consumes the room as a figure appears at the door.

The historically astute immediately recognize him and stand in awe and disbelief. The figure’s features are absolutely unmistakable.

Major Sorrell approaches the podium and with a commanding voice announces, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Lieutenant General James Longstreet, Commander of the 1st Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia."

The crowd erupts in overwhelming applause and cheers as the general enters in full military attire.

This scenario could become a reality at any Civil War event any time.

It is not a veterans’ reunion of 100 years ago but a portrayal of this famous personality by Powhatan resident Andrew J. Gilbert, who so resembles the famous Confederate general that often he is stared at in utter disbelief.

Known to his close friends as A. J., Gilbert became fascinated with General Longstreet when he noticed a friend, Jeff Talley, also of Powhatan, wearing a Longstreet memorial T-shirt.

A. J. presented a striking if not almost perfect resemblance to Longstreet.

Talley started encouraging him to portray Longstreet at Civil War re-enactment’s.

Being a Longstreet advocate himself, Talley recognized at once that A. J. not only possessed a striking resemblance to the general, but his mannerisms were very similar.

With the prodding of Talley, Gilbert began the development of packaging himself as General James Longstreet.

A. J., a great-grandson of Confederate John Westmoreland of the 59th Virginia Infantry, already was well-schooled on the war’s history through his pursuit of his family genealogy.

The Civil War information he had to learn in detail was where Longstreet existed, physically and mentally, during the war’s theater of operation -- no small task.

The research and endless sources of documentation have consumed an immense amount of his time.

Historical Impressions, a Hopewell company led by James R. Furqueron, will be coordinating Gilbert’s presentations. "Ron Furqueron has been a tremendous help in schooling me to become Longstreet in the first person," Gilbert says.

"The authenticity is partially the result of Ron’s pursuit of strict accuracy."

Mentally becoming Longstreet has had its difficulties. "Depicting such a controversial figure makes me determined to see his [Longstreet’s] name cleared and given the credit and honor he deserves," Gilbert reveals. "He was, after all, the Commander of the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, second only to General Robert E. Lee, and I am determined to lessen the controversy that he has received since the war."

"Under command conditions, he was Lee’s right-hand man and Lee’s next in command. Lee always kept close to him seeking his advice and maintained a close relationship the whole time they were together. Longstreet always told Lee his honest opinion.

He didn’t always tell Lee what he necessarily wanted to hear, but simply told him the truth."

Gilbert’s admiration of Longstreet exceeds anything he ever expected. "He has become a mentor, friend, and an inspiration," he says.

"To continue to carry on in adverse situations is one of his traits that greatly overwhelms me.

Can you imagine what he went through with the death of his young children early in the war? He had a perseverance that can only be admired. His commitment to duty is unparalleled. His duty was his guide and code.

"Another thing people don’t give him enough credit for is his deep respect for the men who fought for the southern cause.

Having been wounded himself during the Mexican War gave Longstreet a deep admiration of the common soldier and his plight.

He didn’t neglect his men."

Gilbert readily admits he gets frustrated at times over Longstreet’s controversial image.

"The man has been railroaded repeatedly," he states.

"Take for instance the constant comparison between Jackson and Longstreet.

They were both great generals and complemented each other well in spite of having different tactics. They worked well together as a team and individually. Sharpsburg is a great example of this and they both performed admirably."

When asked about the controversy surrounding Longstreet at Gettysburg, he becomes the general and quotes Longstreet directly:

"I do not fear the verdict of Gettysburg. Time sets all things right. Error lives but a day. Truth is eternal."

One comes to realize that Gilbert knows his subject well.

In spite of Gilbert’s vast knowledge of Longstreet, he constantly strives to learn more.

"I never thought I would go down a road such as this, especially committed to correct such a controversial figure," he says.

"For me, he has become a very close friend and hopefully I can contribute to placing him in a more truthful historical light.

History is something people should work at maintaining and not forget all peoples’ histories, regardless of their backgrounds."

A. J. Gilbert is a man on a mission very committed to correcting a historical error. At times he tries to rationalize the reasons for the whirlwind of controversy that continues to surround Longstreet.

He concludes, "Longstreet was very loyal to his friends, loyal almost to a flaw, and this loyalty often caused his undoing. His friendship with General Grant is a classic example. His refusal to abandon a friend, unless duty dictated otherwise, was at times to his own detriment.

"Longstreet worked long and hard to bring the country back together and was persecuted for it in spite of being correct in his desire.

This persecution becomes even more amazing in the fact that Longstreet was following the exact path that Robert E. Lee recommended, and yet Lee became admired by all."

Confederate Wagon Train Telegram to: General Richard S. Ewell Commanding North of James River Petersburg April 2, 1865

I wish you to make all preparation quietly and rapidly to abandon your position tonight if necessary. Send back on the line of Danville Railroad all supplies, ammunition, & c., that is possible.

Have your field transportation ready and your troops prepared for battle or marching orders, as circumstances may require.

Endeavor to avoid all alarm or notice of your preparation from getting to enemy. Save all public property. If your artillery or transportation requires horses you must take them in the city.

--R. E. Lee

This dispatch and order set in motion General Ewell’s corps of the Army of Northern Virginia on its final journey of the Civil War.

It had been four long years and much sacrifice to all involved including the people of Powhatan. Death, sickness, shortages, poverty, and starvation are just a few of the hardships that Powhatan’s population had to endure.

Unknown to anyone in Powhatan was the fact that, 48 hours from the time General Robert E. Lee dispatched this order to General Ewell, a major wing of the Army of Northern Virginia would enter its peaceful terrain.

Although Powhatan never witnessed the army in its prime, it was to witness its shattered remains. By the time the army of Northern Virginia entered Powhatan County on Genito Road near Dorset, it was only a shadow of its former self.

Lee’s army was heading west to escape the siege General U. S. Grant had pursued over the previous nine months at Petersburg. Much of the army crossed the Appomattox River into Amelia at the Goode’s Bridge crossing (on Route 360).

The remainder was to cross at Genito Bridge at the Appomattox Crossing in Powhatan and join together at Amelia Courthouse.

The Genito Bridge, having been swept away by a raging and badly swollen Appomattox River, forced Ewell’s corps to separate and pursue two different paths.

The infantry was to cross at the Mattoax Railroad Bridge crossing two and a half miles downstream, while the wagon train was to travel further upstream and cross at the Clementown Bridge.

The Mattoax Railroad bridge presented a major problem.

The engineers of Ewell’s corp had to lay planking over the rails for the troops, including both men and horses, to cross over the bridge.

The stability of the planking was so uncertain that the men crossed the structure with arms locked together, walking side-step to cross. Horses and artillery presented their own set of problems.

 By 3 a.m. on April 4, 1865, the corps, with the exception of the massive wagon train, was in Amelia County.

The Genito house just above the Genito Bridge crossing was probably a scene of mass confusion. General Ewell, seeing for himself the wasted-away bridge location, immediately dispatched a message to General Lee that he was having planks placed across the Mattoax Bridge rails.

General Ewell was most likely at the Genito house at the intersection of Genito and Rocky Ford Roads. (This home has recently been acquired by Luther and Celie Carroll of Chesterfield.)

The wagon train and the exact route it took has always been a topic of confusion and speculation.

There has been some thought that it traveled up present-day Dorset Road to Flat Rock, from there to the courthouse, then continuing on Route 13 to Tobaccoville and crossing the Appomattox at Clementown.

Another theory is that it turned on Rocky Ford Road from the Genito Road intersection, continuing to Powhatan, then on to Tobaccoville by Route 13 and crossing at Clementown.

The most likely route was across a road that only partially exists today.

This course would have taken the wagon train from Genito Road up Rocky Ford Road, to a road which ran parallel to the Appomattox River to Giles Bridge Road or present-day Route 609.

The only remnants of this road today is Route 619, running west of Rocky Ford Road, as the entering point of the wagon train’s route.

The exit point is the Giles Bridge Road intersection with present-day Route 623. This perhaps explains the continuing question concerning Giles Bridge not being crossed. Most likely it was washed away also.

 If the 1880 J. E. LaPrade map is closely studied, the road will be seen as a major road bed the equivalent of Genito Road and even Buckingham Road (present day Route 60).

This route would be the most direct and obvious route to be taken placing the wagon train on Route 13 at Macon, then to Tobaccoville and crossing the Appomattox at Clementown.

The size of the wagon train was immense. Stretching for miles, the hundreds of wagons must have seemed unending to Powhatan residents witnessing the scene.

A portion of the wagon train was destroyed by Union calvary just after leaving Powhatan.

A witness riding by said he passed two miles of burning wagons, numbering no less than 400.

Many of the wagons destroyed carried precious supplies that would never reach Lee’s infantry.

Among the troops assigned to guard the wagon train were black Confederate soldiers who had earned the admiration of their white comrades-in-arms for their bravery and effectiveness.

The importance of the wagon train and its partial destruction cannot be overstated. It contained not only supplies, artillery, and critical documents but also a significant amount of rations for Lee’s army. Lee had instructed several hundred thousand rations to be scheduled for delivery at various stops on the retreat route. The coordination of the supplies’ arrival did not materialize.

The wagon train was continuously besieged by Federal cavalry throughout its tenure in Amelia County thus creating historical importance to small communities such as Painesville and Deatonsville.

It finally became embroiled in the fighting around Sayler’s Creek and only a portion of the supply train escaped.

The Powhatan residents were most likely alarmed that the war was about to disrupt its peaceful landscape. It was for many, perhaps, a first sighting of their army.

General Lee Visits Powhatan It had been four long years, years that had taken their toll on virtually every individual in Powhatan County.

Suffering through the deaths of loved ones and the deprivation of day-to-day sustenance caused the spirit of the most ardent secessionist to gradually fade.

The war was truly four years of indescribable torment.

As news began to spread of General Lee’s surrender, a wave of relief, accompanied by despair, seemed to consume the land.

Many families, not knowing if their loved ones were still alive, braced each other for the reprimand from the Federal government that would most certainly be handed them.

The apprehension had been building for some time as the gradual collapse of the Confederacy became more and more apparent.

A small group of soldiers entered the northwestern part of Powhatan County April 15, 1865. Just a few days before, on April 9, the group had been involved in one of the greatest moments in world history, the meeting between a group of Northern and Southern soldiers to cease four years of hostilities and go home. Riding with this group of horsemen entering Powhatan was General Robert E. Lee, affectionately known as Marse Robert to his men and Bobby Lee to Union troops.

On his famous horse, Traveller, riding across Muddy Creek at Tamworth, Lee more than likely was taken aback by the mammoth mill still standing.

Although nothing has been documented as to his comment, his relief that it had survived the many Union excursions along the James River had to at least draw a comment to his young aide, Walter Taylor, though none was recorded.

The party worked its way along present-day Cartersville Road and eventually turned on present-day Huguenot Trail and stopped at Lee’s brother’s home, Windsor.

The well-known story of the general not accepting the comforts of his brother’s home, but camping in the field with his comrades, has been told and re-told.

Many reasons have been attributed to his refusing the hospitality, including not wishing to cause any further suffering for his brother’s failing financial condition.

Although this thoughtfulness is highly commendable and quite within Lee’s character, one has to surmise that he probably simply wished to remain alone with his thoughts.

After accepting the offer to breakfast with the Gilliam family next door to Windsor, Lee and his group continued their journey on toward Richmond.

Although again never documented, one again has to suspect Lee gazed at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church as he and Traveller rode by, especially as Lee was himself an Episcopalian. Little did he know then that in six years his brother Carter would be buried there.

One also has to suspect that as Lee passed plantations such as Norwood and Keswick, he was disheartened by the evidence of neglect these structures had experienced.

As Lee left Powhatan County, he entered Chesterfield County, eventually following present-day Forest Hill Avenue to the river’s edge. News of his approach reached the city prior to his arrival and the citizenry was prepared to meet him.

Riding through the streets of Richmond was a sight he could scarcely miss seeing. The city was a burned-out shell from a fire ironically started by her own people.

As touched as he must have been by the devastation before him, he maintained a soldierly dignity only a gentleman of General Lee’s stature could produce.

Obviously recognizing the weight of the moment, the Northern troops saluted him with full military respect. Lee’s response was without hesitation, and sharp -- valor saluting valor.

Lee approached the rented house on Franklin Street which his wife was occupying and removed his hat, thus bidding farewell to an astonishing military career that just four years earlier he had tried to place behind him.

What was on Lee’s mind at this moment? Beyond the obvious badly needed rest, he did not have any idea what the next day would bring.

Although General Grant had been most congenial, Lee had no idea whether he might be immediately put to death, incarcerated, or simply left alone. Fortunately, the latter prevailed, although the constant threat of charges of treason often raised his anxieties.

Penniless and in ill health (it is now known that Lee suffered a heart ailment at Fredericksburg in December 1862), he started to bring his future together.

One of the grave misconceptions about Robert E. Lee is that he lost everything he owned as a result of the war, including the magnificent mansion at Arlington National Cemetery.

In truth Robert E. Lee never owned a square inch of real estate in his life.

At the death of Lee’s father-in-law, the mansion was passed to Lee’s wife and son, Custis, not to the General.

Lee had many offers, most of which were to capitalize on his name. He courteously turned away all offers of this nature. Lee was seeking something different.

As many do when life is approaching its twilight years, Lee sought peace of mind. He had never been happy with the military profession he chose, often feeling guilty that his long absences from home had hurt his family and infirm wife.

He always regretted this decision. All Lee ever wanted from life was a farm and the ability to derive sustenance from it.

His dream came true two months after Appomattox, when the Cocke family in Cumberland County offered a cottage on Cocke land in Powhatan. Lee accepted the generous offer and for the next two months lived in the little cottage and farmed the land at Derwent.

After the capture of Confederate President Davis the threat of treason haunted Lee, although this stay at Derwent was perhaps the happiest time of his life -- which somewhat explains the man.

Always attempting to avoid the attention given him, he thoroughly enjoyed talking to people who did not recognize him.

Although this privilege was short in duration, his love for his faithful companion, Traveller, remained constant.

They frequently visited Cartersville and occasionally rode to his brother’s home, Windsor.

He would often stop to talk to farmers along the way to learn more about the land. These were truly Robert E. Lee’s happiest moments.

The stay at Derwent was short, for in August 1865 he accepted the presidency of a small Valley College in Lexington. The college was called Washington College, now known as Washington and Lee University.

Although Lee’s stay in Powhatan was brief, Powhatan can be proud that Lee’s choice for a home after all had settled was in this county.

He was extended many offers, some quite attractive, but it was the simple life of Powhatan County that finally brought Robert Edward Lee to true peace.

Agriculture and Farming

There are 195 farms in Powhatan County.

The average farm size is 221 acres.

Principle crops include corn, small grains, soybeans, tobacco, and hay.

Principle livestock include cows (dairy and beef), poultry, and horses.

The total market value of agricultural products in 2002 was $17.9 million.

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